2020 Kia Telluride vs 2021 Lexus NX

The 2020 Kia Telluride marked a significant departure from Kia's reputation for producing adequate but unremarkable vehicles. This model appeared far more expensive than its price tag suggested, though the outdated Kia badge somewhat detracted from its upscale appearance. The Telluride's design was a blend of boxy and fluid elements, reminiscent of both Chevy and Volvo SUVs. Its clean, minimal design featured upright, rectilinear themes, wide-spaced vertical headlights, and a silver mesh grille. The interior was equally impressive, with a layout that could easily be mistaken for a Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class. High-quality materials, a solid build, and tasteful colors made the cabin inviting, even if some elements like the wood trim were not entirely genuine. The SX trim, in particular, offered luxurious touches like Nappa leather seats and a soft headliner, making it feel like a $60,000-$70,000 vehicle, despite its actual cost of $46,930 fully loaded.

In contrast, the 2021 Lexus NX carried over familiar design elements from its Lexus siblings, the UX and RX. The NX featured sharp design lines and a sculpted exterior, with standard power-folding mirrors and 17-inch wheels. The F Sport variant added sporty touches like a honeycomb grille, triple-beam LED headlights, and 18-inch wheels. Inside, the NX offered quilted NuLuxe sport seats exclusive to the F Sport model, with options for various color schemes. The material fit and finish were excellent, as expected from Lexus, but the gauge cluster and center stack design felt dated compared to newer competitors. The F Sport also included a G-Force meter, though it was more of a gimmick than a useful feature. Overall, the NX's interior was comfortable and well-appointed, but it lacked the modernity and spaciousness of some rivals.

The 2020 Kia Telluride was powered by a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. This setup could drive either the front wheels or all four wheels, with AWD available as a $2,000 option. While the Telluride's power delivery was generally sufficient, the transmission could be inconsistent and sometimes delayed in response. Despite this, the vehicle's braking was strong, and the ride quality was smooth, aided by double-paned glass and acoustic insulation. The Telluride's steering was slow, and there was noticeable body lean, indicating that it wasn't designed for sporty handling. However, it offered a creamy ride and decent off-road capabilities, including an axle-lock feature and a snow mode. The Telluride could tow up to 5,000 pounds with the optional Towing package and had an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 19 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined.

The 2021 Lexus NX, on the other hand, was equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that delivered 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. This engine was mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, which was adequate but not as smooth as the newer multi-speed transmissions found in some competitors. The NX could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in around seven seconds, which was average for the segment. The F Sport variant included Active Sound Control to enhance the engine note electronically, though some purists found this feature unnecessary. The NX offered both FWD and AWD options, with the AWD system capable of transferring up to 50 percent of torque to the rear axle. Fuel economy for the NX was decent, with the FWD model achieving 22 mpg city, 28 highway, and 25 combined, while the AWD model had slightly lower combined efficiency at 24 mpg. The NX also featured an adaptive suspension system for improved ride quality, though its steering was numb and lacked feedback. The NX had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds and a top speed electronically limited to 124 mph.

The 2020 Kia Telluride could seat seven or eight passengers, depending on the trim. The base LX and EX trims seated eight, while the S and SX trims offered seven seats with reclining captain's chairs in the second row. The SX trim added heating and cooling for the second-row seats, manual side-window shades, and a third climate zone. The Telluride's cabin was spacious, with ample room in the second row and a tolerable third row for adults. Cargo capacity was 21 cubic feet with all seats up and 87 cubic feet with the seats folded flat. The interior featured analog gauges, buttons, knobs, and a regular PRNDL shifter, complemented by a 3.5-inch instrument panel display and an 8-inch dash screen. Higher trims included a 10.3-inch screen and a 7-inch instrument panel display, offering a richer set of information and a color head-up display.

The 2021 Lexus NX offered a comfortable and upscale interior, with plenty of room for adults in both the front and second-row seats. Heated and ventilated seats were available, and the rear seats featured a 60/40 split-folding design. However, the NX's cargo space was limited, with just 17.7 cubic feet behind the second row and 54.6 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The NX's interior was quiet, with minimal road and wind noise, though engine noise could be noticeable. The center stack design was dated, but the overall fit and finish were excellent. The NX also offered a power liftgate with kick sensor technology and power-folding rear seats as options.

The 2020 Kia Telluride came standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Kia's UVO link, which allowed remote access to the vehicle via an app. A proximity key was also standard. Upper trims with navigation featured fast and accurate voice inputs, live traffic and weather updates, and a quiet mode that sent music to the front seats only. The SX trim included a live feed of the blind spot on the instrument cluster, Highway Driving Assist, and an intercom for the third row. The SX also had bright LED headlights, dual moonroofs, and a Harman Kardon surround stereo. However, the Telluride lacked onboard WiFi and a rear-seat entertainment option.

The 2021 Lexus NX featured an 8-inch touchscreen as standard, with a 10.3-inch screen available as part of the Navigation package. The infotainment system included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and HomeLink. The Navigation package also added Lexus Enform Destination Assist, a personal concierge service. Other standard features included keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth, a USB port, HD Radio, and a WiFi hotspot. The NX offered a moonroof and heated steering wheel as options. The standard audio system was an eight-speaker setup, with a 10-speaker system available in the Navigation package and a Mark Levinson 14-speaker system on the top-tier NX. The Lexus Enform Remote mobile app allowed users to control various functions of the NX remotely, and Lexus Enform Services Connect provided maintenance alerts and notifications.

The 2020 Kia Telluride had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS at the time of writing, but it was expected to receive top scores. The Telluride came standard with a suite of active driver assists, including forward-collision alert with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, a driver-attention monitor, and adaptive cruise control. Safe Exit Assist prevented passengers from opening the rear doors if an approaching vehicle was detected. Optional features included surround-view cameras and front parking sensors. A driver's knee airbag was standard, but the front passenger did not have one.

The 2021 Lexus NX came standard with Lexus Safety System+ 2.0, which included a rearview camera, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, traffic-sign recognition, automatic high beams, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard. Optional safety features included park assist, a surround-view camera system, and adaptive headlights. The NX received top "Good" scores in all IIHS crash tests, a "Superior" rating for its front crash-prevention technology, and an "Acceptable" score for the LATCH system's ease of use. The NHTSA awarded the NX a five-star overall safety rating. Lexus backed the NX with a four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and a six-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty.